China pollutes while Canada gets lectured at Durban

Here’s the opening paragraphs from Globe and Mail‘s coverage of the climate change talks in Durban, South Africa:

With a new confidence and swagger, China has emerged as the rock star of the Durban climate summit. Its every word is dominating headlines and provoking excited analysis from climate negotiators.

Photographers and television journalists swarmed around the chief Chinese negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, as he entered a news conference on Monday to announce his list of conditions for considering a legally binding treaty on carbon emissions after 2020.

Now here‘s what’s going on back in Beijing while the “rock star” Chinese are lapping up the plaudits in Africa:

Chinese authorities cancelled hundreds of flights and shut expressways Monday as thick smog descended on Beijing, reducing visibility at one of the world’s busiest airports. Air quality in the Chinese capital reached “hazardous” levels, said the U.S. embassy, which conducts its own measurements, while the official Xinhua news agency said pollution was likely to reach “dangerous” levels. Beijing’s main airport cancelled 233 domestic and 17 international flights, after cancelling 400 on Sunday. International organizations list Beijing as one of the most polluted cities in the world, mainly because of its growing energy consumption, much of it from fossil fuels.

Right, so now we know China’s position is a load of hypocrisy, which it uses to self-righteously lecture other countries while turning its own environment into a choking cesspool of smog and pollutants. If the Chinese negotiator in Durban wanted to fly home today he couldn’t, because the pollution has closed the airport and highways. Yet back in Canada, what do we hear about? Oh, thatCanada is an international embarrassment for rejecting the accord that allows China to pollute so freely and copiously:

Canada risks irreparably damaging its global reputation by walking away from the Kyoto Protocol, said environmental and industry representatives.
… Mike Hudema, Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, said Canada used to be a leader in climate change reduction commitments.
“Now we’re one of the worst,” Hudema said. “We’re a country that is actively blocking progress. When you talk about the climate crisis, it’s something that could end all life on earth.”
He noted carbon emissions from the oilsands will exceed those of motorized vehicles in Canada by 2020 if policies remain the same.
At least one player in the renewable energy industry was taken aback by Monday’s announcement, saying the decision adds to the bad publicity Canada already faces over its petroleum industry.
“I think stepping away from these sorts of global accords and commitments are not helpful to our cause,” said Dan Balaban, chief executive of Alberta wind energy concern Greengate Power. “Specially at a time when we are seeing real significant, tangible impacts on our ability to continue to conduct business in a vital segment of our economy.”
He had three words for people who doubt the economic impact of climate change: Keystone XL Pipeline.

Oh brother. The air in China is so dirty it’s not even safe to drive a car, but Canada’s the one that’s “actively blocking progress” and could help “end all life on earth.” And they wonder why people have stopped listening to this tripe.